Woodfox seeks a court ruling that would end such searches as routine prison policy any time he is removed from his cell block for outdoor exercise, visits to the infirmary, visits from friends or family and discussions with his attorneys. (more…)

Sekou Cinque T. M. Kambui (S/N William J. Turk) has requested a letter-writing campaign asserting his innocence in preparation for his upcoming parole hearing, which could be held as early as February of 2014.
Sekou maintains that he has committed no crime, and yet has been under the heel of the State since 1975, when he was accused of murdering a wealthy white oil-man and a KKK member in Alabama. He was pulled over in January of 1975 and accused of and arrested for the December ’74 murder after a 9mm pistol was found in his car. Multiple witnesses in his first trial later reported that they had been coerced into testifying against Sekou, after which every defense witness was driven out of the state by police intimidation. No proven murder weapon has been found, and neither Sekou nor the pistol found in his car has never been linked to the crime scene.
As a member of the Black Panther Party and organizer with a variety of organizations, including SNCC and the Republic of New Afrika, Sekou was caught up in the COINTELPRO dragnet in the State’s effort suppress dissent
and make activism criminal. He must be freed! (more…)

A banner posted to the fence at the disputed CVS building that was squatted/occupied last year as a campaign of resisting corporate development; at the corner of Weaver St. and Greensboro St in Carrboro, NC on October 12th. This banner was posted to coincide with Herman Wallace’s memorial service in New Orleans.

Earlier this week graffiti artists decorated the Carrboro bike path with a memorial to Herman Wallace. The memorial reminds us that Albert Woodfox is still locked up and that the struggle is not over.

In the 70’s a bullet was sent to kill Herman Wallace while in prison for his political activities as a Black Panther. This was a special bullet. It wasn’t cased in metal with gun powder. It was of a different kind. It was a bullet named solitary confinement. Like all bullets it came fast and unexpectedly. It came to silence. To stop. Its effects are the same as the other type of bullet. Silence and death. In these no one can talk. No one can hear the rage, the resistance the love for better humanity. This bullet would stop that.

This bullet came from a gun shaped like the prison system. The prison gun with its shining cold steel, its levers and site aimed on punishment and retribution. Its intent–to silence. This gun in Louisiana was aimed directly at Herman Wallace, Albert Woodfox, Robert King, Zulu and any like them for resisting the their systems, their exploitations, their degradation and their other guns. This kind of gun is everywhere in prisons all over. Its coldness, its steel, its trigger is waiting to be pulled. To silence those who refuse.

The trigger of this gun was pulled by those who assume to hold Power. In this case the petty politicians, redundant bureaucracies and corrupt administrations all within the so called justice systems. If there was to be blood it had their fingerprints all over the gun. Remember prisons don’t kill people. People kill people. Those who held this gun have names. (more…)

‘Angola 3′ member Herman Wallace dies three days after being freed from 41 years of solitary

NEW ORLEANS — NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A 71-year-old man who spent more than four decades in solitary confinement in Louisiana died Friday, less than a week after a judge freed him and granted him a new trial.

Herman Wallace’s attorneys said he died at a supporter’s home in New Orleans. Wallace had been diagnosed with terminal liver cancer and stopped receiving treatment. Wallace was held for years at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. In 2009, Wallace was moved from Angola to “closed-cell restriction” at Hunt Correctional in St. Gabriel, where he recently was taken to the prison’s hospital unit.

Jackie Sumell, a longtime supporter of Wallace, said he was surrounded by friends and family when he died. Wallace at one point told them, “I love you all,” according to Sumell. (more…)

Update, October 1st, 10 pm: Angola 3 News reports that Herman Wallace is free from solitary and from prison:

Even after Judge Jackson’s late evening ruling denying the State’s attempt at a stay and again ordering his immediate release, the State continued to stall. Once notified of the continued delay, Judge Jackson stoically refused to leave his quarters until Herman was released, and just minutes ago, Herman was driven away from the prison a free man, awake and able to revel in this miraculous turn of events. The State will likely still appeal to the 5th Circuit and attempt to have the order reversed, and may even re-indict him, but it seems that Herman, against all odds, has won.

On Saturday. August 31st, I was transferred to LSU Hospital for evaluation. I was informed that the chemo treatments had failed and were making matters worse and so all treatment came to an end. The oncologists advised that nothing can be done for me medically within the standard care that they are authorized to provide. They recommended that I be admitted to hospice care to make my remaining days as comfortable as possible. I have been given 2 months to live.

I want the world to know that I am an innocent man and that Albert Woodfox is innocent as well. We are just two of thousands of wrongfully convicted prisoners held captive in the American Gulag. We mourn for the family of Brent Miller and the many other victims of murder who will never be able to find closure for the loss of their loved ones due to the unjust criminal justice system in this country. We mourn for the loss of the families of those unjustly accused who suffer the loss of their loved ones as well.

Only a handful of prisoners globally have withstood the duration of years of harsh and solitary confinement that Albert and myself have. The State may have stolen my life, but my spirit will continue to struggle along with Albert and the many comrades that have joined us along the way here in the belly of the beast.

In 1970 I took an oath to dedicate my life as a servant of the people, and although I’m down on my back, I remain at your service. I want to thank all of you, my devoted supporters, for being with me to the end.

The last few months have been a very busy time for me. I am very happy to report that some progress has been made in several areas. The best news to date is the progress with my parole situation. Since my last update letter, my lawyer filed a request for a parole hearing for me. I had the hearing on November 30, 2011. I met with two commissioners and they decided to advance my case to the next level of the parole process for persons with life sentences. That level requires a psychological evaluation, which means that sometime in the near future I will be transferred to another institution for a three month evaluation. This whole process is called a Risk Assessment, and once this level is completed the case goes before the full body of the parole commission. There are ten commissioners and a majority vote is required before the case can be sent to the governor who has the final right to approve or deny.

Thanks to all of you who wrote support letters or sent cards. One of the key reasons for moving my case forward was the enormous amount of community support reflected by those letters and cards. You all really helped, thank you once again. For those who did not know that this process was underway, it happened fast, but there is still time for you to write. The case will go before the full commission and the members will once again read the letters of support. So please continue to send letters requesting parole to:
Mr. David Bloomberg
6776 Reisterstown Rd.
Baltimore, MD. 21215 (more…)